|
As the summer is now upon us, the brothers of Epsilon Epsilon have concluded yet another extremely successful semester at Oklahoma State University. The past year has been highlighted with successes on campus, nationally, and most importantly, throughout the brotherhood.
A large amount of time the past semester went towards compiling all the information necessary for the chapter to achieve the status of Rock Chapter for the fourth straight time. The award will be given at Grand Chapter on July 11 - July 15 at Austin, Texas. The brothers are extremely confident with the application and expect nothing less than the best, especially with the changes made regarding the new pledgeship.
The new pledgeship is unprecedented for Sigma Nu chapters around the nation. We completely overhauled the old ways of pledgeship and decided to model the program around the LEAD curriculum. We have received nothing but praise from Nationals throughout the year and even have heard from other chapters, including Auburn, about how Nationals wants them to model their pledge program after ours. As is the case with implementing new systems, there is always room for improvement, and we feel next year will be even more successful in promoting brotherhood throughout the house.
Along with the praise we have received on a national level, our members have continued the success laid before them this past semester. Out of the 12 finalists picked for Outstanding Greek Member award, Epsilon Epsilon boasted five. These members included David McKellips for Outstanding New Member, Blair Kirkpatrick and Kyle Andrews for Outstanding Sophomore, Robert Benson for Outstanding Junior, and Matt Carter for Greek Man of the Year. David McKellips ended up winning the award for Outstanding New Member, while the others were not so lucky, but having five finalists was by far the most for any fraternity on campus. Along with being a finalist for Outstanding Greek Man, Matt Carter was awarded the Raymond D. Thomas Outstanding Business Senior Award, the highest honor for any Spears School of Business student.
The brothers of Epsilon Epsilon also continue to become leaders on campus. Stephen Hinck is currently the Interfraternity Council President and has made a huge impact by making the fraternities’ voices heard and not just having the executives of IFC give their reports. Matt Carter also held a large position, finishing up as Blue Key Honor Society President. The past semester included elections into leadership positions in Mortar Board, Blue Key, and Business Student Council. Brother Trey Allen was elected to Vice President of Mortar Board and Robert Benson is now the Blue Key Treasurer. Our members also are heavily involved in Business Student Council and have held many leadership positions in the past.
The Snakes were very impressive in performances throughout the Spring semester. The men paired with the women of Chi Omega for the Varsity Revue production of “Frankenstein.” We placed 3rd overall and brother Grant Kincannon was awarded Male Performer of the Year. Following Varsity Revue, the men paired with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta for Spring Sing. The theme was “The Declaration of Independence” and the group placed 2nd overall. The house is extremely proud of these accomplishments, as the year ended with top three finishes in all major productions.
The brothers also did their part in philanthropy in what could be considered the most successful year for Epsilon Epsilon. The Annual Temple Classic Volleyball Tournament, co-chaired by Jeff Burro and Matt Carter, was the most successful tournament yet. The house raised a record over $18,000 and also had a record number of entries. The event took place on Greek Discovery Day and was an extremely impressive rush tool for the incoming high school seniors.
The spring semester always includes The Big Event, a philanthropy which involves our brothers helping the elderly, handicapped, and others in the Stillwater community with yardwork and other house improvement projects. Around 80 Snakes paired with the women of Kappa Alpha Theta, by far the largest in the Greek community, completing 17 job sites.
The brothers, led by Trey Cole, conducted the annual Sigma Nu/OBI Blood Drive in January. Four hundred units of blood were donated by brothers and students across the Oklahoma State Campus for another extremely successful service provided by the Snakes.
The main reason all of the brothers are at Oklahoma State is scholarship, and the men have kept a successful approach in achieving excellence in the classroom. The Spring 2008 grade report ranked us 5th overall in grades with a 3.1586 GPA. We do not settle for anything less than the best. Our scholarship chair, Mark McClure, has put together a great amount of time and effort creating an amazing scholarship program that should provide our incoming freshmen with the tutoring and resources needed to prevent any slumps with the transition of college.
All of these accomplishments on campus and in the Greek community are an honor for the house, but what the brotherhood is truly proud of are the bonds created throughout the house. The house has always taken pride in how close all of the brothers are, and it is a bond that cannot be equaled nationally.
Robert H. Benson
EE 2220
|
